Choose a suitable pot: A breathable plastic or clay pot with drainage holes is ideal for orchids.
Prepare the potting mix: Use a mix of foam, pine bark, and sphagnum moss. Foam at the bottom provides aeration, pine bark allows proper drainage, and moss helps retain the right amount of moisture.
Secure the orchid: Place the orchid in the pot, ensuring that the roots are spread out naturally. Cover the roots gently with the growing medium but do not bury the base of the plant too deeply.
Moisturize the orchid: Lightly mist the plant to help it adjust to its new environment. However, do not overwater at this stage.
Step 4: Providing Essential Nutrients
After two days, it’s time to give the orchid a nutrient boost. Mix 1 ml of Vitamin B1 into 1 liter of clean water and use this solution to wet the orchid’s roots. Vitamin B1 helps stimulate root growth, strengthens the plant’s overall structure, and enhances its ability to absorb nutrients.
Step 5: Monitoring and Encouraging Growth
After a month of consistent care, you will start to see new sprouts emerging from the base of the orchid. This is a promising sign that the plant is recovering well. Since the top growth tip was cut off, the orchid naturally directs its energy toward producing new growth points. Continue misting the plant every five days with clean water to keep it hydrated without overwatering.
Step 6: Transplanting the Baby Orchid
Fast forward two months, and the new orchid sprout will have grown significantly, with visible roots developing. This indicates that it is strong enough to survive on its own. At this stage, continue misting and monitoring its growth to ensure it thrives.
After three months, the baby orchid will have developed long, healthy roots. Now, it’s time to separate it from the mother plant and transplant it into a new pot. Follow these steps:
Cut the baby orchid carefully: Use a sterilized cutting tool to detach it from the mother plant.
Seal the cut: Apply 502 glue or a natural wound-healing agent like cinnamon to the cut area. This helps prevent infections and speeds up the healing process.
Prepare a new pot: Recycle a plastic cup by punching holes around it for proper drainage and aeration.
Line the bottom with foam: This ensures good airflow and prevents water from accumulating at the base.
Use Leca (Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate) as a growing medium: Leca retains moisture while providing excellent aeration, making it ideal for orchid growth.
Double-pot the orchid: Place the plastic cup containing the orchid inside a larger pot for additional support.
Water and care as usual: Continue misting and monitoring the plant’s progress to ensure steady growth.
Final Thoughts
With patience and the right care techniques, even a seemingly dead orchid can be revived and flourish again. By using a simple lemon-water solution and following the proper replanting and care steps, your orchid can regain its strength and grow new roots and leaves. This method is a game-changer for orchid enthusiasts looking to save their plants from root rot and fungal infections.
Try this technique at home and watch as your orchid transforms from a wilted, rotting plant into a thriving beauty. Happy gardening!
